Cellar Reviews (2024)

Having cleared out most of the 2012/2013 vintages from my beer fridge, I’m now working on the 2014s and later. This is my last B-Bomb from that year. If you haven’t had this one, you owe it to yourself to try it. Back in the day I think these bottles sold at the brewery for about $12—their latest batch goes for $25 and I’ve seen variants at grocery stores in the $32–$36 range. It’s still very good with 10 years on it, lots of malty complexity and barrel character, still packs quite a punch with a nice boozy warmth. My favorite is coffee cinnamon but sadly I have no more of those. Cheers!

 

2019 Imperial Stout from New Holland - and it’s not Dragon’s Milk. Wish they would do more of this.
Cheers all!

 

2023 Triple Mash from New Holland brewing.

One of the better years, I was glad to have found some more. Down to one though.
Curiously it’s more reminiscent of a cola than the traditional coffee and cacao most stouts tend to bring to mind. Works though.

 

BA BORIS Oatmeal Imperial Stout



Never wrote this one up the first time I had it but now that I am finally popping this one after sitting on it for about 8 years... Still holds up.
Gold cap, so I am guessing '09.
Beautiful, dark, and tempting.
Nose carries some barrel on top but still allows for some roast and some dark cocoa notes.Warm.
Taste is whiskey barrel upfront with a cocoa, date, roasted coffee chaser.
Mouthfeel is full enough, warm, and slightly dry and bitter on the finish. Again with a little boozy warmth.

 

Feeling very fortunate to have picked up one of these when I had the chance.
X-post w/NBW #190 and the Quad/BDA tasting threads. Cheers!

4.11/5 rDev -4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.75

2013 vintage - poured from a 12oz bottle into my Westvleteren chalice. Served at 47F.

Clear garnet body with copper and carmine highlights. No head or lacing; thin fast running legs.

Dense aromatics suggest leather, figs, prunes, burgundy, and a hint of sherry. Toffee, and candied ginger along with a hint of clove emerges as the ale warms.

Sweet boozy palate entry - flavors follow the nose with additional vinuous qualities and a touch of chocolate torte, ganache or buttercream. Complex medium finish, moderate oxidation, hints of ceylon tea and Turbinado sugar.

Medium-bodied, nearly still, oily, warming (not fusel) and moderately astringent.

Superb contemplative beverage that pushes the boundaries of what a "beer" can be (making it dificult to rate to style, let alone as a clone of Pannepot Reserva).

 

goddammit, a vintage pannepot clone followed by a vintage pannepot?! keep up the good work, everyone.

 

Jack's Abby "Bourbon Barrel Aged Framinghammer" 2019. A lot of the sharp whiskey barrel presence that can dominate this beer when younger has been replaced by oxidative tawny port notes. Flavors of anise, clove, and vailla on the exhale bring to mind the older non-barrel aged Framinghammer I had recently. Five years seems like a great age for this bottle.

 

Long time no see but old beer friends. Randomly pulled out this 2016 Blackbeerd from the great @coast Brewing Company. Definitely one of the things I miss about living in Charleston. A growler of Boy King and some brisket from their friends at Big Boned BBQ (that was usually on site at the brewery) was always a perfect meal!

This is a beer that historically has aged very well and I’ve had bottled versions up to a decade in age. Let’s see how this one is at close to 8 years.

Pours jet black and looks thick, nearly viscous. Pretty large dark mocha colored head with decent retention before disappearing down. Doesn’t look like an 8 year old beer. Aroma is huge with delectable dark fruits including some surpassingly bright almost berry notes. Next is a big roastiness and the smoked malt is evident. Some raw oak, unsweetened cocoa, and subtle graham cracker round it out. Absolutely killer nose. Taste is quite good but not quite the complexity as the boquet on the nose. Roasted malt and charred wood are by far the most prominent characters. Then there’s a herbaceous grassy character. Bitter chocolate on the back end. As it warms some dark fruits do come out which is a nice addition. Mouthfeel is full bodied with appropriate carbonation. Drinkability is average. No signs of oxidation or other issues. Overall, this is a great beer. Tasty fresh and ages wonderfully as the smoked malts settle and allow other characters to come out. I have a lot of these left in the cellar and plan to take them out for a long long time to come.

4.5/4.75/4.25/4.25/4.25






#properglassware

 

In honor of St. Pats I decided to go a bit big and check in on this beer. I have not popped one in 3-4 years and it has always been one of my absolute favorites regardless of style.

Opens w a lively pop upon removing the cork but not nearly as temperamental as opening a 50th were if you look at the cage wrong the cork is flying off at you eye.

The instant the cork is off you are struck with the most awesome cheesy funky lambic aroma. No need to bury your nose in the glass on this one. It permeates the room!!

Pours w a light white thick bubbly head. Nice apricot color. Bubbles last until the end of finishing your glass,

Nose is to die for. Funky and dusty earth with cheese, mushrooms, grass, earth, oak, minerals ect

Taste: ZERO oxidization. This beer tastes as good now as it did many years ago when I first tried it. Mild acidity and not overwhelming. Funky, juicy, soft cheese, light oak, buttery, and dry soft finish.

Mouthfeel is slightly buttery and moderate. Not too thin, but not thick like Goldackeral.

Overall this beer is still absolutely incredibly delicious and refreshing. It is one that certainly lives up to the hype and showing no signs of slowing down. Going to hold onto my last bottle for several years.

 

One of the last bottles of §ucaba in my beer fridge. This has aged nicely. Still plenty of complexity with a nice boozy warmth, vanilla, smoke, bready malt. FW always seems to hit the right balance and I have to wonder if I would be able to distinguish this from fresh.

 

Having Fred batch 100 bottled 10/11/18.



This has aged gracefully. It's a gorgeous beer, deep golden hue with a big pile of whipped cream on top that fades to huge lumps of sticky lace. I taste the candi sugar in a big way along with golden raisins, lightly tart dried apricot, and a hint of grapefruit. Marvelous.

 

Like @DIM - I’m having a beer from 2018, but it’s not quite the same experience.

Carbonation is all but gone, but the base flavors are still there. Bit of coffee, some chocolate roasted malts, pretty much zero hops. Past its prime. Ah well.

 

I had 2013 and 2023 side by side a few times and I really couldnt notice a difference .

 

Helldorado is a unique beer—to me it’s part barleywine, part double or triple IPA, part Belgian strong ale. It’s fruity, floral, bready and boozy all at once. This is my last bottle of any vintage (beer fridge now down to 74 bottles/cans). It has aged very nicely. Cheers!

 

The 2022 version- thought I was out but I had one more.
And I wish I had more. Freaking good stuff.

 

Like Expedition and Old Stock, I believe Stone IRS has a reputation for aging well—and I have to say, having regularly enjoyed some older bottles, I’ve never really noticed much of a difference or progression. Maybe some experts out there would be willing to suggest reasons why some beers just do better in the cellar than others. Cheers!

 

Oops, accidentally aged this one and it definitely didn’t age well.

At least a year old, this is really good when fresh. Still tasty but just not as good. More herb and less toast sort of thing. Ah well, what I get for not drinking it sooner.
Cheers!